Iraq’s U.N. Envoy ‘and His U.S.-Murdered Relative’

Published in Azzaman (Iraq) on 4 July 2005
by Saad al-Awsi [link to original]Translated from English by . Posted on July 4, 2005.

U.S. troops in Iraq kill innocent Iraqis almost on a daily basis, but our U.N. envoy deigns to speak up only when it is one of his relatives that are murdered.

In his capacity as a public official and a representative of the nation, Samir Sumaidaie should have presented the case of the fathers, mothers, women, children and entire families that regularly perish on Iraqi roads and highways, allegedly for approaching a passing U.S. military convoy.

The only words U.S. troops and their commanders ever utter are “we are sorry,” or “we express our heartfelt condolences.”

These words of regret Sumaidaie obtained immediately, and some might even say that any expression of regret for the cold-blooded murder of unarmed Iraqi civilians is enough, particularly when it comes from the most powerful nation on earth.

It is remains unclear whether such vocal regrets have persuaded our U.N. envoy to forget the murder of his 21-year-old unarmed cousin Mohammed. Most probably they have, as Mr. Sumaidaie and other senior Iraqi officials owe their positions to the U.S. occupiers.

For this reason, Mr. Sumaidaie never said a word about the cold-blooded murder of so many Iraqis by U.S. troops. He only reacted when U.S. troops killed his innocent cousin.

The incident shows that our envoys and government are in disarray. It illustrates that they have little to do with conditions in the country and that they only move when their own personal interests and relatives are affected.

But the incident is also a lesson to the big cheeses in our government, that even they lack the power to protect their closest relatives or even themselves from the wrath of U.S. troops.

The murder of innocent people like Mohammed has been going on for over two years and is bound to continue, but the victims may not always be hapless Iraqis who can’t even find someone to ask the occupation forces for an apology.